I laugh every time I am asked about my elementary school years. I was the kid that took school way too seriously as a child, which I guess was a good thing in some ways. I have several humorous memories from the time I was in preschool through elementary school. Between wanting to go to preschool and being the ultimate rule follower in fourth grade, I can say that I was passionate about school as a child.
I used to get so angry at my mom because my older sister went to school and I didn't. The fact that my sister, Melissa, is 6 years older than me did not matter. I wanted to go to school just like her. When I was in preschool, Melissa was just beginning to learn her multiplication tables. I sat at the kitchen table and watched my mom and dad help her with her homework. Usually my mom gave me a pencil and a piece of paper to draw on so I could pretend I had homework like my sister. Melissa struggled with her homework almost every night and I would watch my parents go over it with her hundreds of times. Every time they started a new problem, I used my fingers to count out the answer. I knew the answer long before Melissa did. If Melissa was by herself doing homework, I used to give her the answers. Eventually my parents realized that it was me doing her homework and not her.
I am not sure there is anyone who took kindergarten as seriously as I did. I could not wait to take our weekly spelling tests. I loved them. At night, I used to fall asleep spelling out every single word I knew. My mom used to think I was talking to my sister, but in reality, I was just spelling myself to sleep. I aced every spelling test in kindergarten and always spelled the bonus word correctly until one day I swore the world was going to end. I carefully spelled out every word on the test and was confident in all of my answers. Then Mrs. Babirad said the bonus word. "Vacation." Simple enough, right? I thought so. I quickly wrote my answer and put my pencil down. I was done. I just got a 105%. I was positive. But Mrs. Babirad continued to repeat the word over and over again. "Vay-KAY-Shun." She was really emphasizing the "kay" part. I started freaking out because I knew it had to be a "c" in the word, but why would she be putting so much emphasis on a "k" sound? I thought about it for a long time and last minute I changed my answer from "vacation" to "vakation." When I got my test back, I cried. Not even a few tears. It was a river. I cried for weeks over it. My mom makes fun of me to this day because I came home crying saying, "I only got a 100, not a 105!"
When school ended and it was time for summer vacation, I lost my mind. I cried and screamed because I didn't want summer vacation. I remember asking my mom through sobs, "What do you mean I don't have school for the whole summer?!" Yes, I cried all summer. I just wanted to go to school every day for the rest of my life. From that day on, I was the nerd in the house. And I embraced it.
As a fourth grader, you could become a safety patroller. Every safety patroller was assigned a teacher. It was your job to go to school early and wait outside where each class lined up to go in for class. You were there to make sure the younger students stayed in line and behaved until the teacher was ready to take them into their classrooms. On rainy days, the classes lined up in the hallways outside their classroom. Teachers recommended that we bring stickers for the students who behaved each week. Each safety patroller was given a bright orange or yellow belt that went around his or her waist and over one shoulder. When I had that belt on, I felt like the most powerful being on the planet. I had a big purple clipboard and stickers that I carried around with me every day. I did not let anyone break the rules and I stopped a kid from getting bullied after he got a black eye the day before from a baseball. I made sure my class had the straightest lines and everyone was quiet while we walked through the hallways. It was probably the only time I had ever taken a position so seriously. I was not a rule breaker. I was not getting in trouble and losing my safety patrol belt over kids who would not listen. If there was an issue between students or if someone did not listen to me, I wrote their names down on my clipboard and showed the teacher after they were let into the classroom. I was the ultimate try-hard when it came to safety patrol.
I always took my school work and my extra-curricular activities seriously. When I was young, I had a strong passion for learning and leading. I always did the best that I could in everything I did. Preschool and elementary school helped me shape who I am today and I often see how my passions and goals back then reflect in my schooling today. My memories of schooling as a child are ones that I can look back on and laugh about because I know that I have that same mindset 15 years later.
I laugh every time I am asked about my elementary school years. I was the kid that took school way too seriously as a child, which I guess was a good thing in some ways. I have several humorous memories from the time I was in preschool through elementary school. Between wanting to go to preschool and being the ultimate rule follower in fourth grade, I can say that I was passionate about school as a child.
I used to get so angry at my mom because my older sister went to school and I didn't. The fact that my sister, Melissa, is 6 years older than me did not matter. I wanted to go to school just like her. When I was in preschool, Melissa was just beginning to learn her multiplication tables. I sat at the kitchen table and watched my mom and dad help her with her homework. Usually my mom gave me a pencil and a piece of paper to draw on so I could pretend I had homework like my sister. Melissa struggled with her homework almost every night and I would watch my parents go over it with her hundreds of times. Every time they started a new problem, I used my fingers to count out the answer. I knew the answer long before Melissa did. If Melissa was by herself doing homework, I used to give her the answers. Eventually my parents realized that it was me doing her homework and not her.
I am not sure there is anyone who took kindergarten as seriously as I did. I could not wait to take our weekly spelling tests. I loved them. At night, I used to fall asleep spelling out every single word I knew. My mom used to think I was talking to my sister, but in reality, I was just spelling myself to sleep. I aced every spelling test in kindergarten and always spelled the bonus word correctly until one day I swore the world was going to end. I carefully spelled out every word on the test and was confident in all of my answers. Then Mrs. Babirad said the bonus word. "Vacation." Simple enough, right? I thought so. I quickly wrote my answer and put my pencil down. I was done. I just got a 105%. I was positive. But Mrs. Babirad continued to repeat the word over and over again. "Vay-KAY-Shun." She was really emphasizing the "kay" part. I started freaking out because I knew it had to be a "c" in the word, but why would she be putting so much emphasis on a "k" sound? I thought about it for a long time and last minute I changed my answer from "vacation" to "vakation." When I got my test back, I cried. Not even a few tears. It was a river. I cried for weeks over it. My mom makes fun of me to this day because I came home crying saying, "I only got a 100, not a 105!"
When school ended and it was time for summer vacation, I lost my mind. I cried and screamed because I didn't want summer vacation. I remember asking my mom through sobs, "What do you mean I don't have school for the whole summer?!" Yes, I cried all summer. I just wanted to go to school every day for the rest of my life. From that day on, I was the nerd in the house. And I embraced it.
As a fourth grader, you could become a safety patroller. Every safety patroller was assigned a teacher. It was your job to go to school early and wait outside where each class lined up to go in for class. You were there to make sure the younger students stayed in line and behaved until the teacher was ready to take them into their classrooms. On rainy days, the classes lined up in the hallways outside their classroom. Teachers recommended that we bring stickers for the students who behaved each week. Each safety patroller was given a bright orange or yellow belt that went around his or her waist and over one shoulder. When I had that belt on, I felt like the most powerful being on the planet. I had a big purple clipboard and stickers that I carried around with me every day. I did not let anyone break the rules and I stopped a kid from getting bullied after he got a black eye the day before from a baseball. I made sure my class had the straightest lines and everyone was quiet while we walked through the hallways. It was probably the only time I had ever taken a position so seriously. I was not a rule breaker. I was not getting in trouble and losing my safety patrol belt over kids who would not listen. If there was an issue between students or if someone did not listen to me, I wrote their names down on my clipboard and showed the teacher after they were let into the classroom. I was the ultimate try-hard when it came to safety patrol.
I always took my school work and my extra-curricular activities seriously. When I was young, I had a strong passion for learning and leading. I always did the best that I could in everything I did. Preschool and elementary school helped me shape who I am today and I often see how my passions and goals back then reflect in my schooling today. My memories of schooling as a child are ones that I can look back on and laugh about because I know that I have that same mindset 15 years later.